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Parents, educators and mental or medical health service professionals who want to participate in the fourth annual Connections Conference have until 4:30 p.m. Thursday to register for the conference.

The conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. April 20 at Victory Life Church, 2066 U.S. Highway 6&50 in Fruita.

The purpose of the conference is to bring together people from a variety of backgrounds who are interested in autism education and services and have them learn about and discuss autism resources and interventions.

Ten local education and service agencies sponsor the conference, which grew out of a 2009 Autism Task Force collaboration.

Conference participants will attend two 90-minute breakout sessions. They can pick from a dozen topics, including navigation of adult services, helping less-verbal people with autism manage strong emotions, in-home strategies for behavior management, life skills for young adults with autism and managing sibling relationships.

Raun K. Kaufman, current director of global education and former chief executive officer of Autism Treatment Center of America, will present the conference’s keynote address. Kaufman was diagnosed with severe autism as a child so his parents invented autism treatment and education model The Son-Rise Program. Kaufman will discuss innovative strategies used in the program and relay his own journey through recovery.

Registration is $30 per person or $50 per couple. Lunch is included.

Registration forms, available for download at d51schools.org, can be sent in an email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), faxed to 970-257-7117, or mailed to Mesa County Valley School District 51, Attn: Monika South, 930 Ute Ave., Grand Junction, CO 81501.